


Cultivate

by kibasniper



Series: Femslash February 2021 [24]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Developing Relationship, During Canon, F/F, Flowers, Fluff, Nervousness, Suspicions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29971752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibasniper/pseuds/kibasniper
Summary: The lilies are wilting in the garden. Terra is enlisted by Raven to help, even if she thinks it's futile.
Relationships: Raven/Tara Markov
Series: Femslash February 2021 [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134674
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Cultivate

**Author's Note:**

> femslash february 2021 prompt 24: lily.

“I see you’re working hard.”

Raven’s blunt statement assaulted Terra’s ears. It felt more like a jab than a compliment. Or was it a compliment at all? She could never decipher the implications behind Raven’s words. Even five words became a riddle for Terra to spend hours solving.

She was standing outside of the Tower near a small garden filled with white lilies. She had noticed their petals wilting on her late afternoon jog around the training track. With the steadily increasing heat and lack of rain, the flowers suffered, which she felt in the soles of her feet. Their weakness ebbed into her, discomforting her when she had knelt near them and reached for the nearest flower.

But it all had come to a crashing halt when Raven spoke. Terra yelped and slapped her hands over her mouth. Jerking her head over her shoulder, her mind buzzed at the sight of her teammate. Terra lowered her hands and admitted that she believed Raven had joined the others to see a movie in the city, avoiding looking her in the eyes.

“It’s a romantic comedy, which is more Starfire’s preference than mine,” she said, hovering over to her. She observed the flowers, her thick eyebrow neatly arching. “You noticed the flowers in distress. Were you going to help them?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” Terra blurted, rubbing her neck. She cleared her throat and clipped her long hair behind her ear. “I was just looking, but, uh, I got a little distracted by someone sneaking up on me.”

She focused her features into the epitome of friendliness. Wide eyes, showing off the right amount of teeth in her grin, chuckling like an easygoing fool, Terra passed as an average girl. If they were in the city, everyone she caught eyes with would have believed she was as regular as the next teenager. 

But Raven remained impassive. Her neutrality chilled Terra to the bone. Her hood shadowed any creases in her brow. The way her lips remained in a thin line, how her eyes seemed to narrow without any movement, it made Terra want to flee to the safety of her room. 

“Uh, do you wanna give it a whirl and help?” Terra asked, stepping aside and gesturing at the lilies.

Raven shook her head. “No. I think this will be a good opportunity to show me something.”

Terra was thankful her collar was high. It prevented Raven from noticing how thickly she swallowed. “And what would that be?”

Raven stepped next to her. Terra smelled hints of incense wafting off her. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, casting a deep orange glow across the sky, and Terra remembered it was around this time Raven would meditate.

“You’ve managed to control your powers in such a short amount of time,” Raven remarked, crouching by the flowers.

Terra squatted next to her and smirked. “What, like it was hard?”

Raven leered at her, and Terra suppressed a shudder from racing down her spine. “It should have been. Control like that doesn’t come with a snap of your fingers or a wave of your hand,” she retorted, but she relaxed, losing the stress in her shoulders. “However, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. You showed me you were able to master your abilities so easily.” She raised her head and locked eyes with Terra. “It’s admirable. You must have trained tirelessly when you were away.”

Terra’s ears burned. She laced her fingers together and squeezed them underneath her knees. She forced her smile to remain still, accepting Raven’s praise with a quiet murmur of thanks.

Raven pointed at the center flower. It was leaning towards the ground. The petals threatened to fall off if the breeze blew. Hints of yellow tinged their white color, reminding Terra of old leather, bleached, wrinkled, and decayed.

“Starfire has been trying to garden, but with the incessant attacks from-” Raven’s nose wrinkled. “-Slade, she hasn’t had much time to take care of them.”

“And that weird Tournament of Heroines didn’t help either,” Terra joked, knowing her cheeks remained the same tan hue despite anxiety pulsing in her veins.

Raven cracked a smile. “Definitely didn’t help.”

Sensing the tension whittling away, Terra took a breath. She raised her hands over the flowers, asking, “So, what should I do? Any ideas?”

“Create a barrier using the ground. Block out the sun just for the rest of the day,” Raven said, cupping her hands and folding them over the lily. “The heat is oppressing them. Although it’s nearly sunset, a little reprieve will be good for their health.”

Terra cocked her head. The idea sounded preposterous to even consider. “But that’s not gonna really help. I mean, that center lily is pretty much a goner. The petals are hanging on by a thread, and the stem looks pale. What actual good would this do?” 

“It doesn’t mean we can’t try,” Raven countered, patting the soil. “If you think it’s a waste of time, that’s no reason to not help.” She slipped her hands to her hood and slipped it off, her expression much softer without a shadow dipping low on to her face. Her eyes seemed wider, more vibrant than before as Terra gazed into them. “With that in mind, will you help?”

A cough of a chuckle escaped Terra. She took in a deep breath and outstretched her arms over the lilies. “Well, sure, I’ll give it a shot,” she said, clenching her fists.

She pressed her knuckles together. The earth rumbled underneath them, slowly lifting into two halves around the garden. Sand rolled off the edges. They connected above the lilies, glueing together as clay and mud merged together, providing cool shade for the flowers.

Terra hardly broke a sweat, but she still breathed out a sigh. Her teacher would have claimed it was a paltry use of her powers. He would have reminded her that the flowers were better off dead. No amount of water would have saved them from wilting. Conserving her energy was more important than wasting them on what should have been abandoned if they couldn’t survive.

But one glance at Raven changed her mind. She seemed serene, the epitome of peace. She looked at the lilies with such relief that Terra felt guilt pinch her skin.

“Starfire will be happy. When she comes back, she said she’ll water them right away,” she informed.

“But won’t they still need sunlight? Like I said, it’s not like this will really protect them,” Terra replied, itching her scalp. The heat was beginning to burn the top of her head.

“While we can go inside and cool off,” Raven noted, glancing at Terra’s hair, “-this gives them a fighting chance to keep flourishing.” She cleared her throat, setting her fist to her chin as if embarrassed. “At least, that’s what I think.”

Terra smirked. That was an expression she hadn’t seen before on the sorceress. A faint hint of pink crossing her ashen cheeks, her pupils widening in realization, they were traits Terra wanted to see again. Even though she could definitely call Raven a friend, there were still so many expressions Terra hadn’t seen on Raven’s face, making her want more.

“Well, it’s a pretty optimistic way of thinking,” she said, standing up. She grabbed Raven’s hand and squeezed. Pulling Raven to her feet, she gazed at the taller girl, her smile turning impish as Raven stared at her. “So, you’re not doing anything for the rest of the afternoon right? Wanna finish my jog with me?” She glanced at her up and down and whistled. “But you might trip in those cool booties. Ever consider wearing a pair of sneakers?”

Raven’s eyes darted from side to side. “I, uh, prefer flying. Getting sweaty is not my thing.”

“Man, that’s surprising! With how strong your kicks are, I thought you’d like some physical exercise.” Terra threw her head back and cackled. She fixed her hair when a few strands crossed over her eye. “Well, if that’s the case, then I’m gonna finish my run. I’ll see you inside, okay?”

Raven nodded and sat cross-legged by the lilies. She raised her hands and pinched her fingers together. Although Terra could only see the back of her head, she knew Raven’s eyes were closed. She uttered her familiar spell, slipping into a deep trance, exuding tranquility Terra had never known.

Terra realized how easy it would be to pierce through Raven’s heart with her back turned and guard lowered. Her teacher would have ordered it if they were on the battlefield. It would have been quick, lightning fast, Raven never seeing it until the tip of the earth was through her chest.

But Terra banished the sudden thought to the recesses of her mind. She clenched her fists, drew in a shaky breath, and ran to the track. It wasn’t time for her betrayal. That day was coming too quickly for her liking. She’d have to face her crimes sooner rather than later. 

For now, she savored her memory with Raven and remembered the scent of incense and lilies.

(At least when that fateful hour dawned, she’d see a new expression cross Raven’s face.)


End file.
